Year : 2011 (InsideOut Music Records Limited Edition 2017)
Style : Progressive Metal
Country : United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 335 mb
Bio:
Haken (pronounced /heɪˈkən/ is a London-based progressive metal band formed in 2007. As of 2014, Haken has released a total of three full-length studio albums and one EP."Say hello to your newest musical masturbation fantasy." This is how Outburn Magazine (USA) chooses to introduce Haken. The UK's PROG Magazine describes them as "one of the brightest young bands in the progressive sphere right now." Well then, why not read for yourself whether these bright young masturbating fantasists are all they're talked up to be...Boasting two members of To-Mera, an ex-member of Linear Sphere and graduates from some of the world’s finest music conservatoires, this London-born sextet are the "prodigiously talented youths that will benefit prog." - PROG. Within months of their first show in July 2007, Haken were billed in support of Riverside and, in the following months, performed headlining sets to packed houses around London, including several sold-out shows at "the best live music venue in south-west London", The Peel. On the strength of these performances Haken were selected to open for King’s X in Wolverhampton and London in January 2009 only to join forces with Bigelf a few months later on their first UK tour, culminating in a sold-out show in London. Even before the release of their debut album, Haken had fast become well respected within the British metal community, and their unique and imaginative genre-bending approach has since earned praise from all corners of the globe. In March 2010, Haken's debut album Aquarius enjoyed international release under Sensory Records. Mixed at Spacelab Studios (Germany) by Christian Moos (Delain, Wolverine, Everon) with artwork created by Dennis Sibeijn (Slipknot, Slayer, Disturbed) Aquarius has fast become a progressive metal favourite worldwide, receiving journalistic praise such as "progressive release of the year" (Fireworks Magazine - UK) and "so assured, you'd swear these guys had been around for a decade. Aquarius is extraordinary" (Decibel Magazine - USA). Topping the 2010 album chart on progarchives.com, the release of Aquarius led to shows with the Diablo Swing Orchestra and Freak Kitchen and soon earned Haken a slot on the bill of ProgPower Festival Europe 2010, their first show abroad, and indeed their debut festival performance.With their live show now well established and a debut album under their belt, Haken began to spread their music across Europe claiming "band of the weekend" at Summer's End Festival 2010 (UK) which also featured bands such as Agent's of Mercy and Karmakanic. They performed on the same stage as Threshold and Vanden Plas at the new Fused Festival 2011 (UK), shared the bill with Guthrie Govan at Monkeyfest 2011 (UK), and also played alongside Exivious and Andromeda at Generation Prog 2011 (Germany). Receiving an invitation to play at both Night of the Prog Festival (Germany) and ProgPower USA in the same year (2011) marked the pinnacle of Haken's live achievements to date. Having now played shows with Dream Theater, Anathema, IQ, Arena, Therion and Evergrey, the band surprised the prog world by releasing their second studio album a mere eighteen months after their debut.Visions saw worldwide release in October 2011 and has sparked off even more praise and excitement from the fast-growing Haken fan base. "Haken throw themselves headfirst into some of the most complex, intriguing and beguiling progressive music that's been made this side of Close To The Edge. They really are that good!" - PROG, and it wasn't long before Visions joined Close To The Edge on Progarchives' top 100 Prog albums of all time.In April 2012, Haken embarked on their first mini-tour of Europe playing alongside Arena and Sun Caged at ROCK ITtervoort (NL) as well as headlining shows to dedicated fans in Germany and Switzerland. Haken cannot wait to continue touring the globe and sharing their music and have already begun writing album number three. In the summer of 2012, Haken made a return to Night of the Prog alongside Katatonia, Spock’s Beard and The Flower Kings and have recently played festivals in France, Lithuania and the UK. In September 2012, Haken will embark on their most extensive tour to date and share a co-headlining bill with Damian Wilson’s new band Headspace,
Album:
InsideOut Music Records Limited Edition on 2CD.When I first heard "Aquarius," I was not impressed. After the millionth listen, I was in love. You could call me a fanboy, or one of those annoying dudes mindlessly infiltrating message boards all over the internet, telling you, your friends, and even your dog to listen to Haken; that is a crime in which I am guilty. Lock me up and throw away the key. I waited and waited and waited for a follow-up to "Aquarius," and it didn't disappoint. Hell, "Visions" might even surpass the record with its magical essence, but that's not a worthwhile deliberation. However, "Visions" progresses the transcendental songwriting and instrumental mastery of Haken's debut into a new frontier of brilliance, and it only goes to show that Haken is no one-trick pony. Instead, they've maintained the consistency of their debut and added a handful of new tints to their agenda which shine beyond what the human eye can see."Visions" generally sounds like a continuation of "Aquarius," but it again goes beyond the spectrum of sight, if you will. For one, the focus on keyboard melodies and situations seems to have been reduced, instead utilizing a guitar-driven approach that focuses more so on sturdy riffs and guitar work. Even the basic craziness of "Aquarius" seems to have been cut a bit, perhaps traded for a song-driven album that isn't loaded with unpredictable themes or such a deep touch of insanity. “Visions” overall has less to do with the wacky instruments and keyboard postulates featured throughout “Aquarius” anthems like “Celestial Elixir,” but it is undeniably the same group of musicians subpoenaing superb music.And why does it work so well? Well, the dudes of Haken are incredibly cohesive and flexible as songwriters. They manage to add fantastic guitar work and hooking choruses into perplexing anthems like the versatile "Shapeshifter" with so much power that I'm sure Mike Portnoy would piss himself. Haken can basically compose these deep, multi-layered tunes that weave through so many levels and ideas that there's really nothing the listener can do but gawk at the sheer dominance they display on the musical end. Granted, the monolithic title track is certainly the most "progressive" song on the album, and there are masterful sections popping up on such a dazzling scale that it may be the finest thing these Brits have ever created. Overall, the bass work rules, the keys are magical, the guitar work jaw-dropping, and Ross Jennings sounds just as excellent as he did on "Aquarius," thankfully.As I said, the toned-down songwriting pays off, with huge hits like the record’s three-hit combo of "The Mind's Eye," the instrumental "Portals," and the breathtaking “Shapeshifter," just a sample of what makes "Visions" a total smash of an album. And again, there so many exemplary factors that shape Haken’s soul that no review or reviewer could plausibly describe the band in a few paragraphs. And as you see, I have no quarrel with “Visions” on any level, and much like its older brother, I’ve come to truly treasure the sheer ability and prose that flows like blood within the veins of Haken. “Visions” is something more than an album, like a journey through tales of dark premonitions and the understanding of fate, instrumentally provoked and matched into an hour of unbelievable power. There is nothing about Haken that isn’t absolutely fascinating, and you are totally missing out on progressive metal’s next legend if you aren’t meeting eye-to-eye with the magical “Visions.”
Line Up:
Ross Jennings - Vocals (2007-present)
Charles Griffiths - Guitars (2007-present) - See also: ex-Linear Sphere
Richard "Hen" Henshall - Guitars, Keyboards (2007-present) - See also: To-Mera
Tom MacLean - Bass (2007-present) - See also: To-Mera
Ray Hearne - Drums (2007-present)
Diego Tejeida - Keyboards (2007-present)
Tracklist:
CD1:
01. Premonition 04:10 instrumental
02. Nocturnal Conspiracy 13:08
03. Insomnia 06:06
04. The Mind's Eye 04:05
05. Portals 05:27 instrumental
06. Shapeshifter 08:08
07. Deathless 08:04
08. Visions 22:25
CD2:
01. Premonition 04:10 instrumental
02. Nocturnal Conspiracy 13:08 instrumental
03. Insomnia 06:06 instrumental
04. The Mind's Eye 04:05 instrumental
05. Portals 05:27 instrumental
06. Shapeshifter 08:08 instrumental
07. Deathless 08:04 instrumental
08. Visions 22:25 instrumental
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